


A Century too Late

by orphan_account



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst, Emotional Hurt, Mentions of Death, Oneshot, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Role Reversal, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:47:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,376
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27766963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: One hundred years ago, Zelda died. Link went to face Calamity Ganon alone.One hundred years later, she awakens. But one hundred years is a long time to wait.
Relationships: Fi & Link (Legend of Zelda), Fi & Zelda (Legend of Zelda), Link & Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 58





	A Century too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for some violence, mentions of missing limbs, decapitation, death, and PTSD. Do not continue if this bothers you

One. Hundred. Years. 100. A long, long, long time for any Hylian to live. Or wait. Or fight. But that’s exactly what Link had been doing for a century. Well, living was an overstatement: he’d died way to many times to count. He should’ve died when that damned Guardian blasted off half his body, including his arm, ear and eye, but he somehow was still standing. His sword arm was laying limp before him and he was bleeding way to much to still be alive. The only person who wasn’t was Zelda, who laid cold and dead in his remaining arm.

Link scoffed at the memory. Some knight he was, letting the most important person in the kingdom die. He’d gladly have given his life for hers, but Hylia seemed to have other plans, deciding to abandon her descendent in favor of aiding her mangled, failure of a hero. He remembered stumbling, half dead into the castle brandishing the Master Sword pathetically at the Calamity. And that was when his eternal hell began. 

After the first 5 years, he stopped talking. Not that he was a man of many words, but his occasional unfunny quips and one liners eventually ran out and he could barely muster the energy to say anything, not that he’d remember how to anyway. After 20 years, he knew he’d lost his mind. He suddenly started hearing the sword speak to him in a strange, robotic voice.

_ Master, please do not fall. The princess is sure to awaken soon.  _

It was strange, hearing the voice, but he found comfort in its occasional bits of advice or encouragement. Especially when he died, which was a lot. Link had died in every possible way and 10 more. While death had lost its meaning, the pain that came with having your limbs torn off one by one or your chest shredded to bits by razor sharp claws and revealing the bones beneath never dulled. Even though he was healed good as new after a few hours, besides the obvious psychological damage he’d sustained and his chronic insomnia. When was the last time he slept? 3 years ago? 4? He didn’t really like dying, and it was made even worse when the voice stopped talking to him. That was 50 years in. The last thing it said was,  _Stay strong, Master. We will meet again, when the princess awakens._

And he did. Or he tried to, as best as someone who’d spent at least 100 years fighting endless hordes of terrifying monsters And abominations and constantly dying could. Sometimes, during a lull in battles when he was trying futilely to patch himself up, he could feel the presence of Hylia, watching him. He wondered if she did so out of pity, or just to see how much longer he’d last. One day, he heard a voice. Not the one from the sword, nor that from the goddess, but a voice he’d thought he’d lost a century ago.

_ Hello? Where am I? _

Zelda. It was Zelda. There princess he’d failed. The princess who’d died. Link nearly broke down at the sound of it, but a harsh swipe at his stomach from a Lynel that sent him flying snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly killed the monster and reached out to the voice in his mind, trying to respond. The Master Sword did so in his steed.

_ Welcome back, princess. We await your arrival at the castle. _

Link looked down at the blade. Maybe his hell was finally coming to and end.

━━━O━━━

6 months ago, Zelda woke up in the Shrine of Resurrection with no memories, the only thing in her head being the robotic, female voice that seemed to call to her from nowhere. She’d collected the Sheikah Slate from the pedestal, met the old man who said he was the King of Hyrule and her father, and left the Great Plateau with two missions: Save Link, defeat Calamity Ganon.

She didn’t know what either thing was until she saw the castle from atop the tower in the Temple of Time. The dark, piglike mass swirling around the castle, and a green light, faint from the distance but no doubt bright, shinning from deep within. The voice called to her again.

_ Please princess, help my master. Save Link. _

And she swore she would. After freeing the Divine Beasts and gathering forces from across Hyrule, she was ready. The defeated the armies of Moblins, Bokoblins, Lynels and Hinoxes. And Zelda was left to enter the Sanctum. Alone.

She glanced uneasily at her Triforce. The golden power that had eluded her for her entire life and most of her journey, only appearing during moments of deep distress. She hoped it wouldn’t fail her now, as it’d done so many times in the past. She had to save Link, her hero, her knight, the one person she’d failed the most.

And so she entered the final battle against Calamity Ganon. She’d gained skills with the sword and was already a natural archer, but the battle was difficult. So many times, Zelda thought she was finished. A spear missing her by only a hair, a sword slicing to close to her neck, her missing a strike and nearly getting cut in half in the process. But somehow, with the help of the deceased champions and a fair bit of luck or divine intervention, she defeated Calamity Ganon.

Now, it was Dark Beast Ganon. Zelda found that fight far easier, considering it was on horse back and almost entirely dependent on archery. She produced the light arrows with her powers, which decided to appear at just the right time, and shot the weak points on the monster. It soon fell, and it was time for the final strike. Zelda channeled her sealing powers and crushed the demon, sealing it away forever. And it was done.

Zelda dismounted her horse as the green light she’d seen in the castle half a year ago descended before her. It changed shape, forming into a short Hylian, flashing blindingly to reveal a man. Or rather, a boy no older than 16. Zelda was utterly shocked. She’d imagined Link to be older, not a mere child not even older than herself. He blinked at her in surprise and opened his mouth before falling forward. Zelda caught him before he could and helped him sit up.

“Hello Link,” she smiled. “It’s very good to see you again. And yes, I remember you. Well partially I suppose.”

He cleared his throat and she watched his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. “I- I,” he stuttered, his voice sounding raw from not being used. Zelda held her hands up.

_ Would you prefer to sign _ _?_ She asked.

He stared at her, observing the way her palms opened and closed as she formed words. It’d no doubt been a long time since he’d seen any other living person.  _Yes, please,_ he finally responded. 

_ Then, I’d like to apologize _ , Zelda signed. Link growled, unexpectedly, startling the princess. He noticed her reaction and scooted back a bit, curling in on himself.

_Sorry , he signed.  Sorry, sorry sorry sorry sorry sor-_

Zelda grabbed his hand to stop him, sending the boy into shock. He yelped and she could see his spine shake as if he’d been struck with lightning. Link pulled away harshly and dug his nails into the ground, his eyes scanning the area wildly for danger. Zelda watched him in horror as he struggled to breath evenly and continuously mumbled incoherently to himself. The Master Sword,suddenly pulsed and glowed from its spot on the ground.

_I’m sorry, Princess Zelda_ _,_ it spoke, the same female voice that first welcomed her into this new, wild world.  _My master is... not the same as he was 100 year ago._

Zelda swallowed the lump in her throat and watched as her hero rocked himself back and forth, tugging at his hair. She felt the heat build behind her eyes and in her cheeks at the sight of her knight suffering. Her eyes misted over as she remembered how she’d failed him, failed everyone in the worst way possible. She’d arrived, she’d saved him from the Calamity, but she was a century too late.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry but I’ve been reading so many Role Reversal AUs, I needed to write one. This is very depressing, I know, but I liked the concept of Zelda still being the descendant of the goddess and Link the hero, but she dies instead. I promise my other stuff isn’t this sad.  
> I was thinking about making this into a series but I don’t know. Let me know what you think.  
> Hope you enjoyed and see you next time!


End file.
